Attachment for sewing machines



T. B. HUESTIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22, 1920.

9 Q8 5992 %o Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

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THOMAS E. JEIUES'IIS, 0F BRISTOL, Eli-KOBE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL INDIA RUBBER COMPANY, A CORPORATION @F RHDDE ISLAND.

'ATTACHMJENT FOR SEWING FMCHINES...

$0 all whom it may concern:

3 Be it known that I, THOMAS B. HUESTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bristol, in the county of Bristol, State of- Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Sewin' Machines, of which the following is a in 1, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an attachment for sewing machines, more particularly to a device for feeding a tape or similar stripto the stitch-forming mechanism of a machine and for cutting the tape at intervals.

In sewing together the'heel portions of the uppers of'canvas shoes it is customary to stitch a tape over the seam. Previously, in performing this operation, the usual procedure has been to stitch the tape in a continuous operation to a series of the uppers and at the close of the operation to cut the tape between the uppers.

An object of'my invention-is to provide means whereby the tape may be initially fed to the stitch-forming mechanism in conjunction with an upper, and severed at the completion of the operation on each upper.

A further object of my invention is to poovide a compact tape cutter which may be disposed relatively close to the presser foot of the machine without interfering with the guiding and feeding to the presser foot of the upper or other material to which the tape is to be stitched.

Another object of my invention is to reduce to a minimum the Waste of tape in the cutting operation.

Still another object is to provide a simple and eflicient tape cutter which is readily adjustable for wear.

A further object is to provide a cutter having a feed mechanism in which backward movement of the tape will be prevented.

A still further objectof my invention is to provide a feed mechanism for the cutter which will be rendered inoperative to feed the tape during a cutting operation.

.A still further object of my invention is to provide a tape feeding and cutting means in which the cutter will be locked in inoperative position during a tape feeding movement. a X

For a detailed description of the inventlon, reference is had t othe following speci.

Application filed-April 22, 1920. Serial Ito. 375,784.

fication and accompanying drawings, in

which latter Figure 1 is a plan view of the attachment showing its position relatively to the bar 3 carries a presser foot i of any desired form, with which a needle 5, carried by a needle bar 6, cooperates as usual. The attachment is disposed in advance of the presser foot, its base plate 7 being adjust-ably secured to the work bed 1 by screws 7 in the ordinarymanner. Secured to the base plate 7 are a pair of guide rails 8, each of which is undercut at both sides. The outer undercut portions of the rails form guide flanges 9 which are adapted to engage grooves formed in the side extensions 10 of a slide block 11, While the space between the rails forms a guideway 12 for the tape. Secured to the guide rails 8 adjacent their rear ends is a bridge member 13 carrying a forwardly projecting spring finger 1% adapted to con-tact with the bottom of the guideway 12. Secured to the underside of the slide block 11 is a second spring finger 15 having tape engaging and feeding teeth 16. The gnide rails 8 terminate short of the front end or the base plate 7, said end 'bein slightly beveled rearwardly'to form a fine tape cutting edge 17. A block 18 is adjustably secured to the baseplate 7 in advance 'Ihis cutting member is formed with cylindrical end portions adapted to he journaled mil in the bearings 22, while its intermediate portion is cut away to form a spirally inclined cutting edge 23 adapted to coact with the fixed cutting edge 17 The cutting member 23 is extended beyond its hearing at one side as shown in Fig. 1, and rigidly secured to said extension is a sleeve 24 having spaced projecting arms 25, to which an operating link 26 is pivotally connected. It will be noted that adjacent to its point of connection with the arms 25 the link 26 is curved upwardly as shown at 27, in order that it may just clear the sleeve 24 onthe extension of the cutter 23 when the arms 25 are in their extreme forward position as shown in Figs. -1 and 2. The base plate 7 is formed with a channel 28 in which the link 26 is guided, and when the arms 25 are in their extreme forward position the link 26 rests in horizontal position on the bottom of the channel, as shown in Fig. 2. Adjacent its rear end the link 26 is formed with a curved recess '29 in its upper edge, the rear wall 30 ofwhich extends higher than the. front wall, and adaptedto coact with said recess at certain periods in the operation ofthe devlce IS a headed pin 31 projecting from the side of the slide block 11. Between the curved art 27 and the recess 29 the link 26 is provide with a straight upper edge 32, -over which the pin 31 slides in certain stages of the operation of the device, in a manner to be later described. The pin 31. is secured in block 11 at such a height that it cannot pass out of recess 29 and slide on the edge 32 until the link 26 rests in horizontal position on the bottom of channel 28. Secured by a screw 33 to the base plate 7 is a stop member 34 adapted to limit the movement of the link 26 in' one direction.

In order to actuate the slide block 11 it is provided with opposed bores or openings 35 into which the inwardly turned ends 36 of, a U-shaped member 37 may be s rung. The U-shaped member 37 is ivotal y secured to the upper end of a roc arm 38 extending from a rock-shaft 39 pivotally mounted at the side of the work table, the opposite end of the rock-shaft having an angular extension 40 carrying an operating handle 41.

In operation the ,tape or similar material 42, supplied from any suitable source, isfirst threaded through the attachment until its forward end has been-drawn beneath the spring finger 14. The'operating handle 41 is then moved from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to that shown in full lines, causing the slide block 11 to be moved toward the presser foot, and in this movement the spring finger 15 carried by the slide block moves down over the finger 14 and its teeth 16 engage the tape, thereby feeding it forwardly. The tape 42'and the superposed shoe upper 43 or other material to which the tape is to-be sewed, are inserted beneath the presser foot 4 of the machine eeaeee andthe stitching proceeded with as usual. During the stitching operation the feed mechanism of t e sewing machine draws the tape 42 through the attachment, the spring finger 14 acting to keep the tape taut during the operation. When the stitching has been completed, the handle 41 is moved from its full line position in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position again, thereby withdrawing the slide block 11. As the slide 76 block 11 ismoved, the headed pin 31 slides;

along the straight upper edge 32 'of the link 26 until it comes in contact with the raised; rear wall 30 of the recess 29, whereupon the link 26 is drawn re'arwardly and upwardly B0 inclined by reason of its connection with the arms 25, and actuates the cutter 23 to sever' the tape, as shown in Fig. 3. This rearward movement of the block 11 and link 26 is limited by the stop 34 with which the rear end of the link 26 finally contacts. At the start of the next sewing operation, when the handle 41 is first moved forwardly, the headed pin 31 will engage the forward wall of the recess 29, due to the upward inclination of the link 26, as shown in Fig. 3. This will cause the link 26 to be moved forwardly and downwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and as soon as the link rests on the bottom of channel 28 with its upper edge 32 horizontal the headed pin 31 will move out of the recess 29, and during the rest of its forward movement will slide along the upper edge 32 of the link 26. It will be noted tape is again being fed forwardly, the link '26 is locked against upward movement by the headed pin 31, sliding on the edge 32 of the link, and as the link cannot move rearwardly 'without also moving upwardly the" rotary cutter 23 is locked in its upper position out of the path of the tape while the latter is being fed. It will also be noted that when the slide block 11 is in its extreme rearward position, as shown in Fig. 3, the tape feeding finger 15 is drawn up on the finger 14 in inoperative position, hence when the block 11 is moved forwardly again the finger 15 cannot function to feed the tape until it has passed off of the finger 14 by which time the headedpin 31 has move the link 26 forwardly far enough to withdraw the cutter 23 from the path of the tape. By means of the screws 19 and elongated openings 20 the movable cutter element-can be readily adjusted with respect to the fixed one to take up wear. As before stated the cutter is secured to the work bed of the machine, and when it is desired to tilt the machine on its hinged mounting the inturned ends 36 of member 37 are sprung out of the recesses 35 in the block 11, thereby alljoiging the cutter to be lifted with the work It is evident that in order to prevent waste 130 :36 feeding means carried thereby,

' of tape the cutter mechanism should be dis- My improved cutter mechanism is very compact, and projects but little abbve the Work bed of the machine, thereby alleiwing the cutter to be placed very close to the presser toot without in any way interfering wlth the to guiding and feeding of the upper or other ,jmaterial to which the tape is to be stitched. The attachment is, of course, not limited in application to the specific use described,

' tend is capable of general application in the F163 guiding and feeding of a strip to the stitch forming mechanism of a machine and for cutting-the strip when desired.

Having, thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letg@ ters Patent is:

1. An attachment forsewing machines comprising reciprocable strip feeding means, and a rotary cutting blade operable by said first means during one of its movements to cut the strip. I

2. An attachment for sewing machines.

comprising reciprocable means adapted upon its advance movement to feed a strip, rotary means actuated by said first meansupon its an retracting movement to sever the strip, and

means for disengaging said first means from the strip during a strip severing operation.

3. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a reciprocable member, a strip strip cutting means, and a lost motion connection between said member and cutting means, said con nection including means for locking the cutting means against movement during a to feeding operation.

at. An attachment for sewing machines ,comprising strip guiding means, means for attaching the same to.the work bed of a machine, a member reciprocab'ly mounted on 46 said first means, a spring strip feeding element carried thereby, and rotary cutting means operable by said member.

5.'An attachment for sewing machines, comprising a guide means for a strip, a

on fixed cutting edge at the exit end thereof,

and a rotary element adjustably mounted on said means and having a spirally dis osed cutting edge coacting with the fixed e ge.

6. An attachment for sewing machines comprising strip guiding means, the outlet edge. of which forms a fixed cutting element across which the strip passes, anda spirally dispersed cutting element havin a bearin in the guiding means and osclllatable toca ward and from the fixed element to cut the stri 1 An attachment for sewing machines comprising tape guiding means, feed means having a plurality of movements, tape cutea ting means, and means pi'votally connected;

feed means at the endof one of its movements to move the cutting means tocuttlng position and at the beginning of a succeedmg movement toreturn the cutting means to inoperativeposition.

8. An attachmentffor sewing machines comprising tape -gii'iding means, tape feeding means having feeding and "retrograde movements, a ,tapa'cutting device, means operable bythe feeding means in its retrograde. movement for moving the cutting device intothe path of the tape to cut the same and in its feeding movement for moving the cutting device out of the path of the tape again, and means for disengaging the feeding means from the tape until the, cutter has been returned to inoperative position.

9. An attachment .for sewing machines comprising strip guiding means, strip feeding means, a-spirally disposed cutting element movable across the path of the strip, and -meansfor operatively connecting the feeding means and cutting element at a fixed period in the operation of the feedin means including a link pivotally connecte to the cutting element and a projection on the feeding means adapted to actuate said link.

10. An attachment for sewing machines comprising tape guiding means, tape feeding means including a toothed tape engaging finger, an oscillatory cutting element for the tape, means for operatively connecting the feeding means and cutting element at lid ing means, and means for holding said finger out of engagement with the tape during such connection. i

11. An attachment for sewing machines comprisinga plate adapted to be attached to the work bed, a pair of guide rails thereon, each undercut at its opposite sides, the inner undercut portions forming with the plate a guideway for a tape, a reciprocable member overhanging said guideway and having extensions slidable in the outer undercut portions of the rails, a toothed tape feeding finger depending from said member, cutting means for the tape, and an operative connection between the cutting means and reciprocable member.

12. An attachment for sewing machines comprising tape guiding means, a tape feeding device, having feeding and retracting movements, tape cutting means, a connection between said feeding device and cutting means operative at the end of a retractive movement to actuate the cutter and operative at the beginning of a feed movement to return the cutter to. inoperative position, and means for rendering the tape feeding device inoperative during said latter movement until after the cutter has returned to inoperative positionv ace .1 ,aeeeee t for sewing machines toward said projection, and a recess in said comprising tape guiding means, tape feedlink adapted to be engaged by said projecing means including a reciprocable element tion to actuate the cutting device. 10 having a projection, an oscillatory cutting Signed at Bristol, Rhode Island, this 30 5 device mounted in the path of the tape, a day of March, 1920.

rock arm connected to the cutting; device, a link connected to said arm and extending "THOMAS B. HUESTISQ 1 3. An attachmen 

